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I was watching a TV special on ‘deserts’ the other night. It explained how some deserts rarely get any rain in years, and yet when they do – dormant seeds, buried in the sand, come alive and sprout beautiful colored flowers. These seeds wait patiently for the opportunity to express themselves, and when that opportunity comes – they are ready!

I asked myself, “How long do I wait before I express something that is beautiful and new, something that is lying dormant inside of me? What opportunities have come and gone, and I fail to notice?”

Years ago, I met John. He is a professional pianist, and gives piano lessons on the side. I began taking piano lessons from him and enjoyed making up my own jazz riffs. I got pretty good at it. I didn’t know I had that in me.

A few years back I saw an ad – ‘begin cooking for yourself’. Evening classes were beginning at a local restaurant, given by the chef. I took the classes and began experimenting with new recipes (rather than my standards), at home. I became a pretty good cook. I didn’t know that this talent was lying dormant inside of me.

What newness might be waiting to express through you? What opportunities have you allowed to pass by; opportunities that invited you to try something new and discover hidden talent lying dormant in you?

I met Rob two years ago through a business acquaintance who told me; “You have to meet this guy Rob, he is a high energy business man and spiritual-guy type.” I was immediately skeptical. “Spiritual guy” hmmm… Not my type. I’m what you might call a hardened New Englander. An old Yankee who thinks spiritual thinking belongs on the ‘Left’ Coast. One who values self reliance, pragmatism and intellect. I thought ‘Spiritual’ was anathema to my East Coast upbringing. Well, after meeting Rob, I was surprised to see that we clicked. I found Rob’s philosophy to not only be pragmatic but in essence in line with my values. When Rob told me; “If it aint practical, it aint spiritual” I knew I was awakening to a new conversation. Rob has taught me a lot and has given me a platform to express what I have learned. I’m still a work in progress — but trust me; I’ve come a long way.

WHY DO PEOPLE SINK THEIR OWN SHIPS?

I have a friend (let’s call him Jim), who is always complaining. Jim’s favorite statement is, “I still don’t know what to do, can you help me?” He says this about almost every project that he gets involved in at work.

My advice to Jim is always the same: “try to see that it is you that is your biggest deterrent to succeeding.” Jim thinks he has a flighty mind, and he does. WHY? Because he thinks he does. Why does Jim do that to himself?

He will never come up with any valuable ideas at work as long as he is faithful to his flighty mind theory. For heavens sake, if you are going to be faithful to something, Jim, make it something that gives you confidence. His confidence is so fragile, that it is shaken with one frown from anyone. Again, I ask Why does Jim do that to himself?

You cannot win at the game of life by pouncing on yourself every time you make a mistake. Lighten up. Your mind isn’t supposed to be a jungle, it should be a flowery meadow (or something like that).

I met Rob two years ago through a business acquaintance who told me; “You have to meet this guy Rob, he is a high energy business man and spiritual-guy type.” I was immediately skeptical. “Spiritual guy” hmmm… Not my type. read more…

If you ask 100 people what inspires them most, 99 of them will mention something like a rainbow, or the Rocky Mountains, or the sound of baby birds chirping …. but what is truly inspiring is something that motivates you to set your own ‘personal achievement bar’ higher so that you may improve your life.

Take a moment to take a second look at your life; what inspires you to make changes that will improve your attitude, or your health, or your relationships with family and friends? This change could mean freedom from negative self talk, or perhaps eating fruit rather than candy bars, or maybe it’s letting go of insisting you are right – being more flexible?

I have an 88 year old friend who is always in a most delightful mood. She reminds me to lighten up. That’s inspiring. I have a neighbor who is as fit as a well tuned fiddle; he inspires me to take my daily 5 mile walks. That’s inspiring. My mail carrier is so easy to chat with; he is always asking delightful questions and is very open minded with any topic of conversation (including politics and religion). That’s inspiring.

What inspires you, if you consider inspiration from a pragmatic point of view?

In one of my weekly Mind Adventure Alliance meetings, Steve shared a high school experience that changed his attitude about himself. In High School Steve was considered a ‘geek’, and that’s because his passion was computers (back then – computers were un-cool). He was often ridiculed and ostracized by his classmates. This never bothered Steve and today he is considered a top notch consultant in the Software industry. Steve declared his self-dependence at an early age. He intuitively sensed that expressing himself in ways that he enjoyed was far more valuable than trying to get by and fit in.

Wow – that is personal power in action – being willing to fully participate in life with your own distinctive style! Steve went on to say that he loves expressing himself, not to rebel but just to be himself. I can remember when I was in high school, and succumbed to the urge to blend in so that I would look good and be accepted. This pressure was more important to me than ‘just being myself’. Have you ever felt that way?

It takes courage to declare, “I choose to be me”, in the face of a world that wants you to be like everyone else. It’s those who dare to break free in the name of self-dependence, that feel fully alive. Are you one of them? Two of my heroes, in this regard, are Mohammed Ali (who dared to be himself in spite of tremendous government pressure), and Madonna (who continues to reinvent herself as her music evolves). Do you have anyone that inspires you to be yourself?

Take a moment today, to declare to yourself: “My aim today is to be my genuine self’.” I have a 90 Day Mind Adventure (coming out soon) that shows you precisely how to do this. Any thoughts?

It seems that this health care bill consists of nearly 2,000 pages. 2,000 pages can be very confusing to even the most organized and discerning mind. If a person is to find the jewels hidden in the health care bill, he must have the courage to dive in and get rid of what is confusing.

It seems that our collection of opinions and beliefs also consists of 2,000 pages (maybe more like 2,000,000 pages). If you want the jewels hidden in your vast collection of opinions and beliefs, you must have the courage to dive in and let go of what is confusing.

How do you do that? Begin by learning the difference between random thinking and consciously choosing the thoughts you ponder. Choose wisely and this one mental act will help you go through your collection of coveted opinions and beliefs in far less time than you imagine; it will also help you let go of those opinions and beliefs that don’t support your aims and aspirations. What does that leave you with? Those opinions that are jewels … those beliefs that support you with experiencing a healthy life.

I recently found a couple of jewels that I treasure:

1. I can take outer command of my life only after I have taken inner command of my collection of opinions and beliefs.

2. I am much more capable than my collection of beliefs can explain – my job is to just get out there and prove it to myself!